[Book] गणिती by Achyut Godbole

Many of my favourite books have been read in the Nagpur-Goa-Nagpur journeys. Last weekend I added "गणिती" by Achyut Godbole to the list. The book made me think about beauty in mathematics. 

In the preface to this book, the author Achyut Godbole brings up an interesting idea: 

Is Mathematics a discovery, or an invention? Laws of physics and chemistry would exist even if there were no humans to measure them. But would algebraic equations and calculus exist without us?

Laws of physics seem to be the same across the universe. Would the mathematics of aliens be same like us?

[Movie] Age of Ultron

Never thought I would get bored watching an Avengers movie. 

Well, the "Age of Ultron" proved me wrong.

[Book] "Man's Search for Meaning" - Viktor E Frankl

Once in a while, you read a book that leaves you shocked and shaken. 

"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E Frankl is one such memoir, written by a survivor of the concentration camp at Auschwitz during the Holocaust (World War II). Just 150 pages long, it written in such a direct, sharp manner that leaves nothing to the imagination. 

Compared to what these people went through, all our troubles seem so much trivial.

Sherlock! Sherlock!!

What an amazing series. High production quality, top notch acting by Benedict Cummerbatch (never heard of him before this series). 

And poor Watson.. He is the recipient of some of the most acerbic lines from Holmes. Here are my two favourites so far:

You are so vacant. It must be so relaxing not being me.

Stop talking. You're lowering the IQ of the whole street.

Movie marathon

Catching up on my To-Watch movies list. Done with....

Scarface: 

One of the best gangsta movies I have seen. Al Pacino's Tony Montana act is very impressive.

Finding Neverland: 

Didn't know Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet did a movie together. Glad they did this one. But the little boy Peter steals the show.

The Insider: Russel Crowe and Al Pacino in one movie!

Serenity (sci fi), Into the Wild (superb!), Identity (suspense thriller, awesome!!), Zero Dark Thirty, and The Way Back (Ed Harris and Collin Farrell ) All good stuff. 

Wish I had stayed miles away from Piranha 3DD. They have made a mockery out of it.

Have got hold of Abyss (James Cameron), Total Recall ( 1 and 2) and Babylon AD. Have seen these quite some time back, but it's good to have them in the collection. 

Watched two science fiction movies based on the theme of time travel.

"The Primer" 

...has quite a complex plot, dialogue is full of scientific jargon. This is a movie that the better you understand the more you enjoy -(just like Inception). 

"Looper" 

... explores the idea of what would happen if you travelled back in time and killed your own self. Both movies recommended.

"The Moon"

.... One of the more intriguing science fiction films that I have seen. No special effects, no action sequences, the movie contains only one character and his robot companion, yet keeps you hooked till the end.

'Oblivion' 

...  Good sci-fi movie, first half a little boring, the second half much exciting.

Some good things lined up...

Sherlock: 

After watching Jeremy Brett's stellar performance in "Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Jeremy Brett", I didn't wish to watch anyone doing Holmes. But this BBC series seems to be a worthy exception. Have seen some snippets, awaiting the real stuff.